Correspondence filing mechanism



April 30, 1957 F. L. WASSELL CORRESPONDENCE FILING MECHANISM 3 Shee'ts-Sheet 1 Filed March 17, 1955 2) s RTTO R N EYS April 30, 1957 F. L. WASSELL 2,790,443

CORRESPONDENCE FILING MECHANISM Filed March 17, 1953 s Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. FRQNK LLOYD WASSELL' m5 ATTORNEYS April 0, 1957 F. L. WASSELL 2,790,443

CORRESPONDENCE FILING MECHANISM Filed March 17, 1953 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 IN VEN TOR.

T; .E. I

FRANK LLOYD Wnssau.

fi/S HTTORNEYS CORRESPONDENCE FILING MECHANISM Frank Lloyd Wassell, Westport, Conn., assignor to Georgene Par-kin Wassell, Westport, Conn.

Application March 17, 1953, Serial N 0. 342,859

2 Claims. (Cl. 129-16) This invention relates to filing mechanisms and embodies, more specifically, an improved form of filing mechanism by means of which correspondence and the like may be maintained in filed condition and yet readily accessible at all times.

The invention relates more particularly to a rotary filing mechanism, such as illustrated in applicants copending application Serial No. 223,593, filed April 28, 1951, now Patent No. 2,750,051, for Multiple Rotary Card File, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a rotary filing mechanism by means of which correspondence and like material to be filed may be maintained in a properly filed condition and within a minimum of space, yet readily accessible and available for removal from or replacement into the filing mechanism.

The foregoing and other objects are attained by providing rotatable file supporting mechanism having outer supporting elements disposed in a plane substantially lower than the plane in which inner file supporting elements are disposed in combination with frame structure carried by the aforesaid supporting elements, the frame structure being provided with folded, flexible pocket elements that are suspended from the frames.

In order that the invention may be more fully understood, it will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a plan view of filing mechanism constructed in accordance with the present invention;

Figure 2 is a partial view in section, somewhat enlarged, taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1, and looking in the direction of the arrows;

Figure 3 is an enlarged perspectiveview of individual filing components constructed in accordance with the present invention and illustrating the novel frame structure of the present invention;

Figure4 is a partial view in section, taken on the'line 4-4 of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a partial view in section, taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 3, and looking in the direction of the arrows;

Figure 6 is a partial view in longitudinal section showing a modified form of the invention; a

Figure 7 is a plan view of certain of the structure of Figure 6;

Figure 8 is a view in reduced scale showing a modified form of the frame and pocket structure of the present invention; and

Figure 9 is a view in front elevation of the structure of Figure 8.

Referring to the above drawings and particularly to Figures 1 to 5, file mechanism is illustrated as being provided in the form of a vertical rotatable shaft 10, which may be mounted in suitable framework, not shown. One or more supporting means may be provided in axially spaced relationship upon the shaft 19, each supporting means comprising upper and lower plates 11 and 12, respectively. A circular inner rail 13 is secured to the nite States Patent O upper plate 11 by means of a plurality of brackets 14 and outwardly spaced with respect to the rail 13 is an outer supporting rail 15, this rail being mounted upon the lower plate 12 by a plurality of plates 16. Referring to the inner rail 13, it will be seen that it slopes upwardly and inwardly and is provided with a flanged portion 17,

whereas the outer rail 15 similarly slopes upwardly and I inwardly and is provided with top and bottom flanges 18 and 19.

The foregoing structure thus provides continuously extending circular supporting rails which may, if desired, be sectioned or compartmented by one or more radially extending partition plates (not shown).

In order that material to be filed may be effectively supported in a properly filed condition, a plurality of frames is provided eachbeing formed with longitudinal arms 20 and downwardly and outwardly extending arms 21. Each of the arms 20 is provided with a notch or recess 22 that is adapted to engage over and be supported by the flange 17 of the rail 13. Each downwardly extending arm 21 is formed with a notch or recessed portion 23 having reentrant recesses 24 and 25 to receive the a saddle or pocket within which the correspondence or other material 26 rests.

In the form of the invention illustrated in Figures 1 to 5, the sheet material 27 is not only secured at 28 to the longitudinal arms of adjacent frames 30 and 31, but is also secured to the downwardly extending arms 21 of V 7 each of these frames, as indicated at 32,

Spaced slots 33 may be provided in the portions of th material 27 that are folded about the arms 20 and 2.1 in order that indicating tabs or other indicia 34 may be secured therein, as indicated in Figures 2 and 3. By providing the outer rail 19 in a plane substantially lower than. the plane of the inner rail'17, the material maintained Within the pockets carried by the frames is readily accessible from the side, and thus may be easily inspected, removed, or inserted into the filing elements. The shape of the arms 20 permits access to the file pockets throughout an arc defined by the horizontal plane of the lower rail and a vertical line passing through the upper rail. Furthermore, this arrangement permits a plurality of the filing mechanisms to be mounted in superposed relatiom ship upon a common shaft, such as shaft 10, without impairing the accessibility above mentioned.

In the form of the invention illustrated in Figures 6 and 7, the shaft 11 is provided with circular plates 35 upon which Wedge-shaped trays 36 are adapted to be received. These trays are formed with inner supporting rails or ledges 37 and outer Webs 38. The outer webs 38 are provided with an enlarged bed 38 preferably formed of a yielding non-metallic material and, in order that material may be maintained in filed position, angularly formed frames 39 are provided having reentrant notches 39' within which the ledges 37 are received and yielding clip members 40 for engaging the bed 38. This structure permits the frames 39 to be shifted easily and as desired to accommodate material to be filed and also facilities the insertion and removalof the frames from the trays or other receiving mechanism. Flexible 1n atcrial 40' is secured to the frames 39 to form pockets within which correspondence and the like may be received and supported.

It is to be observed that an important feature of this invention resides in the securing of the flexible material 27,- 40 and the like to the frames and 39 notonly along the horizontal portions of the frame, but also along the vertical or sloping portions thereof. This structure imparts strength and rigidity to the correspondence receiving elements. a

In the form of the invention shown in Figures 8 and 9, a plurality of frames 41 is provided similar in structure to the frames and 31 illustrated in Figure 3, these frames being provided with a pleated flexible sheet material having a plurality of upper folds 42 and corresponding lower folds 43. The upper folds are inserted over longitudinally extending arms 44 of the frames 41, and the lower folds 43'correspond in purpose and function to the folds 29 hereinabove described. The structure of Figures 8 and 9 thus provides an accordion-shaped filing structure, the pockets of which maybe opened or closed with facility when and as access thereto is desired.

While the invention has been described with specific reference to the accompanying drawings, it is not to be limited save as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A correspondence file comprising a center post,

inner and outer coaxially curved rails supported from the center post, first support means extending outwardly from the center post connecting the inner rail to the center post, second support means extending outwardly from the center post connecting the outer rail to the center post, the said first support means being at a substantially higher level than said second support means, so that the outer rail lies in a horizontal plane which. is substantially below the horizontal plane in which the inner rail lies; the assembly which includes said first and second supports and said inner and outer rails being rotatable as a unit about the axis of the center post, radial arms suspended between the inner and outer rails and being slidable along said rails, each of said arms comprising an inner horizontally dis posed leg and an outer downwardly disposed leg, rail engaging means carried at both ends of the radial arm to engage and slide along the rails, whereby the radial arms are individually adjustable along the rails, file pockets supported between adjacent radial arms, the lower ends of the file pockets being disposed above the said second support means, and means connecting a file pocket both to the inner horizontally disposed legs and to the outer downwardly extending legs of adjacent radial arms to permit access to the pockets throughout an arc defined by the horizontal plane of the lower rail and a vertical line passing through the upper rail.

2. A correspondence file comprising a center post, inner and outer coaxially curved rails supported from the center post, first support means extending outwardly from the center post connecting the inner rail to the center post,

second support means extending outwardly from the center post connecting the outer rail to the center post, said first support means being at a substantially higher level than said second support means so that the outer rail lies in a horizontal plane which is substantially below the horizontal plane in which the inner rail lies, the assembly which includes said first and second supports and said inner and outer rails being rotatable as a unit about the axis of the center post, the upper rail having an upwardly extending flange formed continuously along the length of the rail, the lower rail having a pairof flanges formed continuously alongthe length of the rail, one extending upwardly and inwardly and the other extending downwardly and outwardly, radial arms suspended between the inner and outer rails and being slidable along said rails, each of said arms comprising an inner horizontally disposed leg and an outer downwardly disposed leg, a notch formed in the inner edge of thedownwardly disposed leg near the extreme lower end thereof and engageable with the outer rail, an upwardly and inwardly extending reentrant recess and a downwardly and outwardly extending reentrant recess both communicating with said notch to receive the respective flanges of the outer rail, a notch formed in the lower edge of the horizontally disposed leg near the extreme inner end to engage the upwardly extending flange of the upper rail, file pockets supported between adjacent radial'arms, the lower ends of the'file pockets being disposed above said second support means, and means connecting a file pocket both to the inner horizontally disposed legs and the outer downwardly extending legs of adjacent radial arms to permit access to the pockets throughout an arc defined by the horizontal plane of the lower rail and a vertical line passing through the upper rail.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,130,597 Hogg Mar. 2, 1915 1,706,069 Marquardt Mar. 19, 1929 2,291,724 Jonas Aug. 4, 1942 2,325,317 Hanna July 27, 1943 2,413,078 'Scholfield Dec. 24, 1946 2,493,538 Karns Jan; 3, 1950 2,599,802 Yzetta June 10, 1952 2,623,527 Guichard Dec. 30, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS 147,344 Germany Jan. 20, 1904 852,973 France Nov. 18, 1939 917,301 France Sept. 9, 1946' 967,012 France Mar. 15 1950 1,020,050 France Nov. 12, 1952 516,412 Belgium Jan. 15, 1953 

